


Just the beginning

by U_Bahnstation



Category: Joyeux Noël | Merry Christmas (2005)
Genre: M/M, Post-Canon, World War I
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:34:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22635199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/U_Bahnstation/pseuds/U_Bahnstation
Summary: Sitting alone in a room and waiting for the French to sign the surrender Horstmayer was sure everything he knew all these years was to the end...
Relationships: Audebert/Horstmayer
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	Just the beginning

**Author's Note:**

> I’m sorry for making these two French guys so angry, but I tried to explain why they were like this.
> 
> It was xsunny’s idea to write for the prompt “glasses”, so check her work here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22628458/chapters/54080122
> 
> Yes, Audebert in this story is a captain)))

Horstmayer was not sure, how long he had been here, in this old wooden house. Ten hours? A day? Maybe more? 

Everything seems to be over. Time died in this room and the German feels, like everything he knew during these years is also dying. What happens next? Will anything happen? Or will he stay here forever? His own personal hell. He has no answers, no ideas, no wills. He is hungry, his back hurts from sitting for a long time and his head from scarps of endless and useless thoughts. Everything really seems to be the end.

They came into the room together. Two French officers. One captain and one lieutenant. Horstmayer immediately understood, what people were standing in front of him. He saw them the day, he agreed to sign the surrender. And these two left a deep impression on Karl. 

Oh, he got the angriest officers out of the ones he had seen. Not typical French. Great pair. Not polite, not courteous. Horstmayer asked himself, were these two like this from the very beginning or did the war make them such people. Maybe they lost too much?...

The paper was put on the table.

\- Du sollst das unterzeichnen. - said the lieutenant with the heavy accent.

\- You can speak French, I understand you. - Horstmayer tried to speak friendly, - But please, give me some time to read it.

\- You have a minute. After that, you must sign.

The German sighs and puts his hand into the pocket to get the glasses. Not typical French. Too aggressive. They were likely to be broken by these four years.

Horstmayer is near putting his glasses on, when the lieutenant standing close to him sharply takes them away.

\- No. It’s not allowed.

\- But wait! - Karl is mostly talking to the captain, who seems to be a little more understanding, - How can I read, if I don’t see the words?

\- If you don’t see, just sign. To put your signature on the paper, you don’t need to see much.

Horstmayer sighs hardly. It will be much more difficult, than he expected.

\- But how do you want me to sign it, if I don’t even know, which conditions are there?

\- You don’t need to know so much! - answers the lieutenant angrily, - Just take the pencil and write!

\- No.

\- What?!

\- No. I can’t sign it. What if there are conditions I can’t accept? What if I sign the death sentence of my soldiers?

The lieutenant laughs badly.

\- You will do it anyway. Even if you don’t like it. Even if there is a death sentence to all of your people.

\- No.

The French man becomes red.

\- Say it one more time, and I...

\- No. I won’t sign it without reading it.

The officer hisses, curses and punches Horstmayer on the cheekbone. Nothing unexpected. The German grins through the pain. What was he waiting for? 

\- What are you laughing at?! - cries the lieutenant, roughly lifting him by the collar, and makeing one more attempt to hit Karl’s face. But the other officer stops him. 

\- Give him some minutes, Paul. And than ask again.

Horstmayer thinks, how long it can last. And how soon will they understand that he will sign nothing without his glasses. Now it is a matter of principle.

\- So? What do you say now? - the Frenchman closer, raising his hand for the second strike.

But the opening door distracts him from this idea. One more person comes into the room. Karl doesn’t turn around, like he did it previous time. There is no need to acknowledge him. One more French officer from the infinite number of officers he had seen these days. He goes around the table and stands near the first one... But the man who just walked into the room stops behind Karl.

\- Stop it!

\- What?

\- I said, stop threatening him with your fist, Lieutenant Geren! I saw you doing it. And give him his glasses back.

This voice... Where did Horstmayer hear it before? There were hundreds of French voices during these two days, but... is something else here.

\- What do you mean, Captain? 

\- Give the man his glasses back, don’t you hear? How can he sign this paper without being able to read what’s written?

No, he heard this voice not these days. But very earlier, something warm is connected with it, something he wants to remember... The pain in the cheekbone and hunger are not helping, only distracting him from his thoughts, for which, to tell the truth, he has not enough time. Everything mixes and turns into a deep swamp. Karl sighs.

\- Good, as you wish, - answers the lieutenant angrily, - but Captain Benar and I will write about this in the report.

\- It doesn’t matter. The war is over. And it seems to me you two don’t remember, he is not our POW!

Even now Karl can’t recall. It is so frustrating!

The lieutenant pulls his glasses out of the pocket and... of course, drops them on the floor, shattering the lenses. Nothing remarkable.

\- Idiot... - the German hears the silent sigh from his back.

\- Oh, what a pity! - says the Frenchman sarcastically.

The first captain, who was sitting and staring holes into Karl’s face, looks up.

\- Stop this circus! He will sign this surrender with his glasses or without them!

And he moves the paper closer to Horstmayer.

\- I told you, I can’t do it! 

\- But what do you want?! New glasses?! From where, do you think, we must get it for you?

\- Wait, - sounds from behind again, - I can give him my ones...

Thoughts come back to Karl’s mind. Wait... Wait... this voice, oh God, can it be real?

\- You? Him? What’s the reason for such a charity? - laughs the officer. His laugh sounds more like a cough.

\- I owe him. - answers the one, who stands behind, softly, - One day, when my ones were broken, he gave me his ones.

It is real. Karl turns his head and looks up.

\- Camille...

Audebert smiles, holding his glasses out, and touches the German’s hand. Too much is hidden in this split second. Horstmayer feels the French’s fingers on his skin and answers with the same. The whole history of these years in one touch.

\- You should sign it, you know.

Karl nods, reading the paper fast, but carefully. He believes in Audebert.

The two officers watch these two with wonder and misunderstanding, but in a total silent.

\- So, - continues Audebert, when Horstmayer puts his signature on the paper, - do you still want to visit Paris?

Horstmayer smiles.

\- Only if you still invite me.

\- Only like a tourist! - Camille puts a hand on his shoulder.

\- Like a tourist. - answers Horstmayer, snuggling his cheek up to the Audebert’s cuff. He tries to putt off the glasses and give them back, but Camille stops him.

\- No. Keep them, and return them when you come to Rue Vavin. - He touches Karl’s face softly, picks the paper from the table and nods to the captain and the lieutenant, - I’ll help you to get from here as fast as possible. - he says in a whisper, - Soon everything bad will be end. Wait a little bit more.

Sitting in the room, feeling pain and hunger, Horstmayer smiles. He holds the glasses. He knows, nothing is over. Everything good has just begun.


End file.
